Technology & Connection

Technology:

Our state-of-the-art communications infrastructure includes digital, fiber-optic, wireless data, and cellular technologies. Services are provided via public and private local and regional vendors.

Connection:

Public and private utility providers offer efficient power, water, sewer and telecommunications services in the Hagerstown-Washington County community. The availability of these critical resources allow our area to prosper.

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Technology

AT&T, Sprint, Verizon, DIRECTV and Antietam Cable Television have Points of Presence within the county. Washington County is well served and several options are available for broadband services. Resources to help your household find the right internet service plan include InternetProviders.com. Cellular telephone services are available through private local and regional vendors.

Antietam Broadband has made a $6 million dollar private capital investment in Washington County to build a one Gigabit Broadband direct fiber connection to more than 11,000 homes and businesses. This sets Washington County apart as one of the select number of communities across the country to have this level of broadband connectivity.

Antietam’s Flight Gigabit product offers a synchronous service, 1 Gbps download and 1 Gbps upload, direct fiber-to-the-premises connection to a home or business. A gigabit equals 1,000 megabits per second and represents an enormous improvement in bandwidth available to consumers.

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The Hagerstown Community College Technical Innovation Center provides an opportunity for tech start-ups to accelerate into viable companies by providing an array of resources and services. These services include affordable facilities (wet lab and office space), business concept review, customized support services, market evaluation, manufacturing assistance, and more. Services are developed or orchestrated by incubator management and are offered both in the incubator and through its network of contacts. Visit our websitefor more information or call 240-500-2479.

The TIC is the largest, most comprehensive technology-based business incubator in Western Maryland. It provides space and other services and amenities to entrepreneurs, start-ups, and existing companies. Their facilities consist of office space, open manufacturing space, conference rooms, and 4,000 square feet of biotech research labs.

The TIC has numerous amenities for those looking for lab space, including:

11 Total labs

Fume hoods

biosafety cabinets

A common lab with -80°C freezer, centrifuge, water purifier, CO2 incubator and more.

Biotech Workforce Development Efforts

The area’s higher educational institutions, public schools and their partners are working together to further develop the local science and technology workforce. HCC began offering a Biotechnology Associate of Applied Science Degree program in 2007 and enrollment numbers continue to increase. For the fall 2010 semester, HCC’s biotechnology program had 43 degree-seeking students and 9 certificate-seeking students enrolled.

To support the increased interest and growth in the program, HCC constructed a new $35 million Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) building. In addition, the college is using recently awarded grants from the National Science Foundation as well as BRAC to accelerate the development of a biotechnology educational path that exposes high school students to college-level biotech opportunities.

The biotechnology educational path includes the InnovaBio-MD program, a state-of-the-art biotechnology research and internship program that collaborates with Fort Detrick research agencies and private biotech firms and engages students in actual research projects on the HCC campus. These efforts will help keep pace with the predicted workforce development needs that will accompany high-tech industry growth.

Connection

Potomac Edison, a First Energy company, with its Western Maryland headquarters located in Washington County, serves the county; City of Hagerstown’s Electric Division distributes electricity to many parts of the city; customers of investor-owned utilities may choose their electric supplier.

Natural gas supplied by Columbia Gas of Maryland, Inc.; customers may choose their gas supplier. Industrial coal and fuel oil by tank or truck are available.

City of Hagerstown Wastewater Divisions:

Public water service and fire protection water are available in the Urban Growth Area of Washington County. Public sewer service is available in the Antietam Drainage Basin.

Combined Average Daily Flow: 8.32 million gallons per day (MGD)

R.C. Willson Water Treatment Plant (Primary Plant):

Capacity: 20.0 MGD from the Potomac River.

Average Daily Flow: 11.3 MGD

William M. Breichner Water Treatment Plant (Secondary Plant):

Capacity: 4.8 MGD from the Edgemont Reservoir.

Average Daily Flow: .02 MGD

Municipal systems in Boonsboro, Clear Spring, Funkstown and Hancock also provide water and sewer service.

Washington County Department of Environmental Management:

Public water and sewer services are provided in the non-incorporated areas of Washington County and the incorporated town of Sharpsburg. Full sewer service is provided to the incorporated town of Keedysville and sewer treatment is only provided to Smithsburg and Williamsport. Laboratory services are also available for county municipalities, local industries, and homeowners.

Strategic Approach

The Making Connections Campaign is a Marketing and Economic Development tool aimed at promoting the four private public partnerships in Washington County that will bridge the way for new and continued development in Washington County. The private-public partnerships established while working among these projects will positively serve as a catalyst among a collaborative group with an interest in bettering our community. The projects highlighted will spark new development and growth opportunities within the County; they will improve Economic Development, Public Safety, Transportation and Pedestrian Access.

Through marketing the Making Connections Campaign with public ground breakings, project updates and timelines, website, local media and social media, as well as video marketing; we plan to attract new and exciting business, investment and job opportunity to the community. The Connections will also offer growth and development for existing businesses, developers and investors.

Making Connections Campaign: Crayton Blvd. Extended 10/16/18

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Method of Measuring Results

As all four Making Connections partnerships begin to take shape, land becomes accessible and available, and new connection thoroughfares are constructed, Washington County will focus on the number of jobs created, investment into business within the new industrial parks and commercial land development, as well as continued planning for future campaigns. With the extension of Crayton Boulevard’s proximity to Interstate 81, Route 11, and Hagerstown’s Regional Airport, partnering developers plan to utilize and market the location to a variety of commercial and business industries. As a result of those collaborative and ongoing efforts, Washington County looks to become an even more vibrant and diverse business community with flourishing opportunity and growth!

Maryland Economic Development Association Award

The Washington County Department of Business Development (DBD) was nominated and awarded the Small Community Economic Development Marketing Award for the “Making Connections Campaign” by the Maryland Economic Development Association (MEDA) at its 2019 Annual Conference held on April 28-30, 2019 at the Hyatt Regency Chesapeake Bay Resort, located in Cambridge, Maryland. This award would not have been possible without the collaboration, planning and implementation among Washington County Divisions and Departments, community stakeholders and public-private partnerships.